1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same, and in particular, to a flexible organic light-emitting display device that is improved so that, when a carrier substrate is separated from a thin film layer, the display unit is not damaged in the manufacturing procedure, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic light-emitting display devices can be manufactured as thin and flexible devices due to their driving characteristics, and much research into organic light-emitting display devices is being performed.
However, a display unit of an organic light-emitting display device may deteriorate due to permeation of water molecules. Accordingly, to prevent the permeation of external water molecules, a sealing structure for sealing the display unit is required.
Typically, as the sealing structure, a glass substrate with a display unit thereon is covered by a sealing substrate formed of the same glass material as in the glass substrate, and a space formed between the glass substrate and the sealing substrate is sealed by a sealant. That is, a sealant, such as an ultraviolet hardener, is coated on a peripheral region of a display unit of a thick and strong glass substrate, and then, the resultant structure is covered by a thick and strong sealing substrate, followed by irradiation of ultraviolet light to harden the sealant, thereby sealing.
However, such a typical sealing structure may not satisfy flexible bending characteristics which are recently required for organic light-emitting display devices. That is, recently, there is a demand for a flexible organic light-emitting display device with flexibility that is installed, even in a bending state. However, when the thick and strong glass substrate and the sealing substrate are used, such a demand may not be satisfied.
Accordingly, to solve the problem, a thin film sealing structure using, instead of a glass substrate, a thin film layer formed of, for example, a polymer, has been disclosed. In detail, forming a display unit on a glass substrate and forming a thin film layer covering upper and lower portions of the display unit are respectively performed, and then, the glass substrate is separated from the resultant structure, thereby enabling sealing of the thin film layer with respect to the display unit. That is, the glass substrate functions as only a carrier substrate in the manufacturing procedure.
However, the problem in this regard is that, when the glass substrate is separated from the thin film layer to manufacture such a thin film sealing structure, several kV or more of electrostaticity frequently occurs on the separation surface. In this case, the display unit may be highly likely to be damaged due to electrostaticity. Accordingly, there is a need to prevent this problem.